Taking Root
by Yamino Tenshi 202
Summary: Sweethearts 2013 Day 5 Prompt - High School AU, with Alfred trying to ask Arthur to the Homecoming Formal. Better than it sounds.


13 Mar. 13 – 10:11 PM

Just cranking them out~

**12th: Flowers**  
Flowers have almost endless meanings behind them, and your possibilities with this theme are equally diverse. Whether it's giving each other roses, planting a garden, a metaphorical blossoming, you name it. The idea of 'flowers' must be present.

Notes: Going the metaphorical blossoming way~, Human AU

* * *

**Taking Root**

* * *

Alfred felt his heart pound heavily in his chest. He watched his student council president talk to the student body, explaining the behaviour that would be expected of them at the Homecoming Formal. The older boy, only a year older, stood with such an arrogant air that Alfred wondered why he was so attracted to him.

"Alfred?" The boy looked over to his half-brother Mathieu and ignored the gestures to look ahead to the slideshow that was playing on the screen to the left of the council president.

Nothing could stop his heart pounding so heavily, especially with his plan for asking the boy to the formal dance.

* * *

"Arthur!" Arthur Kirkland, student council president, turned at the sound of his name, seeing the vice president, Francis, come towards him.

"Yes, Francis?"

"Someone left this for you." The older boy smiled, handing over a small box. "Seems like someone has a small crush on you."

Arthur furrowed his eyebrows. "A crush?" he asked disbelievingly. Inside the box was a white rose.

He pulled it out and read the small piece of paper that had been underneath it.

"'With me?' What?" Arthur looked around the box's interior, even on the rose, for more information, but it seemed that that would be the only hint for what this was all about for today.

"It didn't say anything else?" Francis said, disappointment in his tone.

"Oh, well."

* * *

The next day, Arthur found another box on his desk with a pink rose inside of it. The message inside said, "Will you go".

The following day, Arthur figured it out with the middle part of the message and a violet rose: "To the formal"

He sighed. "I can't very well go with you if I don't know your name, stranger…" he mumbled softly, twirling the bloom in his fingers by the stem, inhaling the sweet scent of rose.

He closed his eyes. He guessed that the person asking him was a boy; girls were to be asked this year. There was nothing demeaning about the gifts… They made him feel rather happy.

"Daydreaming about your date?" Arthur opened his eyes and looked up to see Francis's date to the formal – Mathieu Williams.

"How did you know about – "

"Francis told me, and this." The younger boy handed him a small box. Arthur found himself reaching for it with fervour, eager for this next flower and anticipating that the next slip of paper inside would reveal his date's identity.

"Behind the cafeteria at 7:30. I'm wearing a blue suit. :)"

"Really?" he whined, pulling out another pink rose. Why wouldn't the boy just tell him who he was?

* * *

**7:30 PM**

Arthur stood in front of the rear entrance of the cafeteria, checking and rechecking his watch. 7:30 PM and still he stood alone. He sighed.

"I shouldn't have trusted those gifts –"

"Sorry! I tried to get here, but your rose…" Arthur looked up and spotted the awkward boy on the freshman football team, whose suit was blue and who was out of breath from running down the hallway.

"Jones, right?" The younger boy straightened himself up and nodded, gripping something in his hands, his knuckles white.

"Yep!" Alfred inhaled deeply and let out his breath slowly. "Here…"

A red rose, with several petals hanging precariously from the bloom, was extended out to the council president. Arthur stared at the slightly sickly flower – if Alfred was nervous, it was visible in the plant – and reached out and grabbed it gingerly in his fingers.

"Thank you…"

Alfred smiled. "I… I've liked you for a while. You were the person that helped me find my way around the beginning of the school year and you helped me get onto the football team."

"I did?" Arthur did not expect the other boy to laugh.

"You gave me a recommendation to the coach when he was looking for more players." Alfred, smiling with pleasure, bounced a bit on the balls of his feet.

"I did… I'm glad I could help, but… You liking me…" He was still unsure. If it had been someone else, would Alfred have liked them in his place?

"I know it doesn't sound like a lot to go on, but…" The boy began to stutter a bit in anxiety. "I feel different, happier, when I see you."

Alfred came forward and reached for the other's hand. "I asked you to the formal. We don't have to start dating or anything… Let's just have fun."

Arthur nodded. "… Maybe we could. Date, that is…" He looked down at the rose in his hand.

"Nice use of flower meanings."

Alfred grinned and grabbed the other's hand, going inside to the dance.

* * *

**White – Pure love, innocence**

**Pink – Friendship, pure love**

**Violet – Passion, enchantment**

**Pink bud – Blooming love**

**Red – Passionate love, adoration**


End file.
